Chapter Twenty Nine
"I'm so excited, aren't you?" asked Lila jubilantly as she and Steven walked hand-in-hand towards the familiar front door of the Reagan house, the site of their long-awaited baby shower along with so many other family gatherings. The previous few weeks had been really tough on them, dealing with Steven's accident and Lila's blood pressure issues, and they were really looking forward to a fun afternoon with their family and friends.
"I sure am," said Steven. "But I still don't get the whole 'couples shower' thing. I thought showers were for women."
"They can be for whoever the people involved want them to be for," explained Lila. "Aunt Linda asked me if I thought you wanted to be a part of it, and I knew you did so I told her to plan it for couples."
"I'm glad you did that, babe," said Steven. "I would've understood if they'd made it just for the women, but I'm glad I can be here and share in the fun." He leaned down and kissed her as they reached to open the door. "Hello, we're here!" Lila called out.
"Hi!" exclaimed Eddie as she hurried to welcomed the guests of honor. "Everyone is mingling in the living room, so go on in and say hi, and we'll get started shortly."
"Thanks, Mom. It smells great in here!" Lila gave Eddie a warm hug.
"Can I get either of you anything?" asked Eddie.
"I'd love a bottle of water, please," replied Lila. "Anything for you, babe?"
"Water would be great, Mom. Thanks." answered Steven. "
"Coming right up, Steven" said Eddie as she went to get the waters. Steven and Lila entered the living room, and were amazed to see so many friendly faces waiting to greet them - Erin, Danny and Linda, Steven's best friend Sully and Lila's friend from school Maria, to name a few, and it took no time at all for Maura to descend upon he parents-to-be. Maura was determined to earn her way back into her son's good graces.
"Hi, Mom," said Steven, giving her a big hug. He wanted to bury that hatchet too and provide his babies with two sets of doting grandparents along with a sweet and sour great grandpa.
"Hi, son," replied Maura. "It's so good to see you up and about like this!" She hadn't seen him since two days after he'd gone home from the hospital, and he'd made amazing progress since then.
"I'm glad I can be up and about," Steven laughed. "Especially for this. Eddie puts on a great party.
Maura nodded, "The potato puffs are so good and these a very interesting meet dish…" Maura turned her attention to her daughter-in-law. "Lila, honey, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling really good," replied Lila. "We're really excited about today, and we're so glad you both could make it."
"We wouldn't have dreamed of missing it," said Joshua, stepping in to hug the couple.
"Lila's right. We're really glad you're here." As the conversation drew to a close, Jamie approached the group.
"Hey, Dad," said Lila as she gave him a hug.
"Hello, Kitten," Jamie replied holding her tight. "Joshua and Maura, please join Eddie and I when it's time to eat and Dad of course." Jamie wanted to bridge the gap as well. "How are you feeling Steven?"
"Much better, we are ready to go when Eddie is."
"This all looks great, I know you had to have help with all these decorations." The whole room was decorated in a Winnie the Pooh baby shower theme. There were pink, blue and yellow streamers all across the ceiling, and tons of balloons to match. The table covers had an adorable scene of Pooh and Piglet looking at a little baby chick as it hatched from its shell. The centerpiece on the food table was a 3D image of the same Pooh and Piglet scene, and across the top it said "Hello, little friend". Erin had asked Lila for the baby book earlier in the week, and it was laid out next to the gift table, opened to a page for shower guests to sign in.
"Yeah," grouched Danny. "Erin and Linda roped me into being the one to climb on the step stool and tack all the streamers and balloons up."
"Sorry about that, Uncle Danny" said Lila with a chuckle.
"No, I didn't mind at all!" replied Danny. "I was happy to help." Danny didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wife's wrath for upsetting his niece.
"Glad to hear it," said Steven shaking the older man's hand.
"So, how are you doing?" Danny asked him.
"Doing pretty good," said Steven. "A little better each day."
"I'm so glad" said Danny. "How are your injuries healing up, pretty well?"
"Yeah, pretty well," replied Steven. "My ribs are still sore if I move wrong, and my knees still hurt a lot if I walk too far or stand too long, but aside from that I'm feeling good."
"Well here, sit down!" exclaimed Jamie, pulling a chair over for Steven. Jamie knew a thing or two about unreliable legs.
"I'm fine Dad, really" insisted Steven, "But thanks." Joshua's eyebrow went up at hearing Steven call Jamie "Dad."
"Well how about you both go sit in the chairs we've got for you, that way I won't feel bad for making you stand up," suggested Danny."
"Okay, we'll go sit down" said Lila. "I assume those are our chairs?" she asked, pointing to the 2 chairs near the gift table which had huge Mylar balloons tied to them, one reading "Mommy-to-Bee", the other "Daddy-to-Bee", and they had Pooh on them with a little bumblebee on his nose.
"Those are yours! I'm going to go see if they need any help in the kitchen," Linda replied as she buzzed by to go and help Eddie.
As Steven and Lila made their way to their seats, they were greeted by another very familiar and friendly face.
"Sully!" exclaimed Lila, reaching out to hug the man who'd seen she and Steven through so much in the course of their relationship.
Sully pulled Lila into a strong hug. "Don't you just look wonderful?"
"Thank you, Sully," said Lila. "I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Well, why the hell not?" inquired Sully. "I've been watching this unfold since the beginning. I wouldn't miss it!"
"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" asked Eddie. The chatter quieted down and all eyes turned to her as she stood in the center of the room.
"I think everyone is here, so we'll go ahead and get started. I know from personal experience that many baby shower games can be silly and aggravating, so we've come up with a few we hope will actually be fun." Molly and Joe went around the circle and passed out sheets of paper and pens.
"Okay, here's how this game goes," said Eddie. "Everyone needs to write down a problem that Steven and Lila might have with the babies, and a solution to the problem. It can be anything from a big problem to a simple one - use your imagination! Go ahead and do that, we'll give you about 5 minutes, and then we'll tell you the next step."
"Hey, no peeking," said Lila as she caught Steven trying to look over her shoulder.
"I'm not peeking," he insisted with a smile. "I'm merely checking your creativity."
"You're so full of it, Steven," said Lila, smiling back at him.
"Is everyone finished?" asked Eddie after 5 minutes. "Okay, now, I need everyone to tear their papers in half to where you have a piece with only the problem on it and a piece with only the solution. After you do that, I want you to pass your problem piece three people to your left, and your solution piece four people to your right. When we're done, you should have 2 pieces that don't belong to you."
"Oh boy," said Lila. "I know where this is going."
"Where?" asked Steven.
"You'll see," she said. "It should be funny."
"Okay, now for the fun part. We'll start at this end with Linda, and you need to read the problem on your list and then the solution. Go ahead, Linda."
"A problem Steven and Lila might have with the babies is: it cries all hours of the night. To solve this problem, they: leave the house an hour earlier. That doesn't make any sense!"
"It's not supposed to," laughed Erin. That's what makes it fun!"
"I see," said Linda. "Well, maybe the next person will have something funnier."
"I guess that would be me," said Danny. "Let's see, A problem Steven and Lila might have with the babies is: they run out of diapers. To solve this problem, they: buy the baby some bigger shoes." The entire room roared with laughter.
"Just so you know Steven, bigger shoes won't help if you run out of diapers!" joked Jamie.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," laughed Steven.
"That was a good one, Danny!" laughed Eddie. "Okay, Erin, go ahead."
"Okay," said Erin excitedly. "A problem Steven and Lila might have with the babies is: it spits up everything they feed it. To solve this problem, they: send the baby to grandma's. That's funny!"
"Hey, you never know," said Lila. "It just might happen!"
"Fine with me!" exclaimed Eddie. "That's why you bought a house so close."
The group continued with the rest of the game, and played another involving a listing of different TV show children from past and present, matching the right kids to the right parents. After that, it was time for gifts…
Erin took a seat next to Steven with a legal pad and pen in her grasp. Linda stood next to the gift table on the other side of Lila allowing Eddie watch he presents being opened and get off her feet for a little while.
"I'll hand you the gifts" said Linda. "And you can open them however you want. Erin will make note of everything you get and who gave it, and we'll pass it around the circle so everyone can see it."
"That sounds like a good plan," replied Lila.
"Works for me," seconded Steven. "Let's get started!"
Linda handed Lila the first package, and Lila turned to Steven to see if he wanted to do the honors.
"No, you go ahead, babe."
"You have to open some of these" said Lila. "I'm not going to have all the fun!"
"Okay, we can take turns," offered Steven. "Will that work?"
"Yeah," said Lila, as she began to tear the paper from the package.
"Awwwww…" she said as she laid eyes upon the contents, a package of sleepers and a pair of baby booties.
"Thank you, Nikki," said Lila. "They're adorable!"
"They sure are," said Steven, reaching out to hug Nikki as she approached.
"You're welcome," said Nikki. "I'm glad you like them."
"Here you go, Steven," said Linda as she handed him a large gift bag from the table.
"Thanks," he said, setting it on the floor at his feet and carefully removing the tissue paper. He pulled out two hand-made baby quilts with Pooh Bear on them.
"Oh, wow," he said.
"That's just gorgeous!" said Lila. "Is this your handy work?" she asked, looking directly at her aunt.
"Yes, it is" admitted Erin. "I saw the pattern in a crafters magazine. Everyone on the planes loved it. I hope you do too."
"It's great, Erin," said Steven. The babies no doubt love them."
"I'm glad you both like them," said Erin with a smile.
"Next," said Linda, passing Lila a smaller gift bag. Lila peeked inside and squealed "Oh my gosh!" before pulling out two stuffed bears. One was outfitted in a fireman's uniform, complete with the trademark hat, the other dressed in NYPD dress blues.
"Now those are cute," said Steven. "Who are they from?" Before Lila could look at the tag on the gift bag, the giver spoke up.
"They're from Linda and me," said Danny. "Squeeze their tummies." Steven handed Lila the police bear, and he gave the tummy of the firefighter one a squeeze. A soft, digital version of the Superman theme filled the room.
"Need we guess what this one plays?" laughed Lila as she held up the Marine bear. After "Superman" had finished, a gentle press of the tummy on her bear elicited an adorable, lullaby-type tune of "New York, New York."
"Perfect choice, Danny, Linda," said Steven. "Thanks."
"Hey, buddy," replied Danny. "We've got to give these kids equal exposure to both, you know?"
"Oh, believe me," assured Steven. "I know! I am definitely outnumbered, at least one of the babies will be NYPD, I hope the other will swing my way."
"Careful there, son," Jamie warned with a light hearted laugh. His hand was on Eddie's knee. Lila couldn't help but smile, her parents still couldn't get enough of each other.
"Here Steven," said Lind, passing him a mid-sized box with a huge yellow bow on top.
"What pretty wrapping" said Lila as Steven carefully removed the bow and handed it to her. He took the top off the box and pulled out a stack of baby clothes.
"I remember this," said Lila as she looked at the pink sleeper with a kitten on it.
"Yeah, me too," replied Steven with a smile.
"That's way too cute!" squealed Erin, who'd been so busy making note of who gave what, she'd hardly said a word since they began with the gifts.
"Hey!" exclaimed Jack from his perch with Rita in the back of the room "I thought you didn't know the sex of the baby!"
"We don't, Jack," assured Lila. "When we did our registry, we each chose one outfit for a boy and for a girl, this is the one I chose for a girl."
"Ah, okay" said Rita, accepting Lila's explanation without further question. "Jack made me put back all the girl stuff, he knew he was going to get it if you knew and he didn't let on."
"Hey, look here" said Steven as he pulled something from the middle of the stack. It was the bib he'd picked out with the firetruck on the front.
"Let me see now, who on earth could have chosen to register for that…?" Joshua pondered with a laugh looking at his son.
"You got me, Dad," joked Steven as he pulled an outfit from the pile. "Probably the same person who chose this little boy's outfit with a fireman on the front."
"Who's this all from, anyway?" asked Lila, looking for a tag on the package.
"It's from me," said Joe. "It's all supposed to be things you registered for, but some of the abbreviations on the printout at the store were really hard to figure out, so if I got anything wrong, you can exchange it."
"I'm sure it'll all be fine, Joe" said Steven. "Thanks for being so gracious with the fireman outfit and everything."
"You're welcome, Steven." The two men shook hands, "Well win them both over with rides in the squad cars anyway," Joe said as Linda lugged a big box from behind the gift table and put it in front of Lila.
"My goodness!" Lila exclaimed. "I can't imagine what this could be…" She tore off the pastel wrapping paper to expose a box containing a stroller.
"Is it the right one?" asked Maura.
"It sure looks like it to me," answered Steven. "It is, Lila?"
"Yep, it is!" said Lila. "We tried out a few different ones in the store and this one was the only one with handles high enough for Steven to use without slouching down."
"Okay, I'm glad I got it right," said Maura. "Joe's right, those printouts can be confusing."
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt that way," laughed Joe.
Linda handed Steven a gift bag with baby zoo animals on it.
"Hey, neat!" he said as he removed the tissue paper and looked into the bag and saw an assortment of bottles and bottle accessories.
"You'll really like those, Lila," said Nikki. "I used the same kind and they're wonderful."
"I researched them quite a bit," said Lila. "I needed one that would work well with breastfeeding, and those always seemed to make the grade, so I went with them."
"Oh yeah," agreed Eddie. "They're great with breastfeeding, really great and they are the newer design so it'll be better than when I used them."
"This obviously means I'll be expected to take some of those 2 a.m. feedings, huh?" said a smiling Steven.
"Eventually," said Lila. "So enjoy sleeping through the night while you can, my dear!"
"Count on it!" said Steven.
"Here's another gift!" Linda dragged another large box out from behind the table.
"I think I might know what this is," said Lila as she tore the paper off a corner of the box.
"I have an idea, too," said Molly being the one that bought it. Lila continued removing the paper until the contents of the box were evident.
"The swing, cool!" said Erin. "Is that what you thought it was?"
"Yep," answered Lila. "I remembered the size and shape of the boxes from the store."
"You'll be so glad to have that," said Linda. "Our boys all loved theirs, they'd spend hours in it just happy as could be."
"Is this from you too?" Lila asked Linda.
"Nope," answered Molly. "Tis from me. The second one is on back order, I wanted them to match."
"Molly!" exclaimed Steven. "You didn't have to get us anything that big!"
"Don't be silly," retorted Molly. "I have been watchin these wee ones grow and I am so excited t see Uncle Joe change a diaper."
"Thanks, Molly," said Lila as she leaned over to give Molly a kiss on the cheek.
"Okay, next," said Linda as she handed Steven an envelope. He opened it and removed the card.
"Aww, that's great," he said.
"What is it?" asked Lila.
"A gift card card, Lila" said Joe. Lila opened it and her eyes grew big as dinner plates.
"Mom, Dad!" Lila exclaimed.
"Let me see that," said Steven, taking the card from Lila's hands and reading it for himself.
"WOW!" he exclaimed.
"What is it?" questioned everyone else in the room, eager to know what the expectant couple was so amazed by.
Steven read the card aloud. "'Steven and Lila: This card is to let you know that both sets of your nursery furniture are ready to be delivered to your home at your convenience. Congratulations, Mom and Dad Reagan."
"That's so cool!" said Erin. "Jamie you always give the best gifts!"
"We try," laughed Jamie with a modest grin on his face.
"Mom, Dad, with the house…" said Lila. "This is so much more than we-"
"Nonsense" interrupted Eddie. "We wanted to get you something practical and useful, and that just seemed to fit the bill."
"We really appreciate it, guys," said Steven.
"Okay," said Linda, only a few more. She brought out a large, bulky package from the other room and put it in Steven's lap.
"It didn't fit behind the table," Linda laughed.
"Ah, okay," said Steven, squeezing the package a little.
"Just open it," said Lila, beginning to tear the paper off of it herself.
"Hey, this one's mine!" kidded Steven. Lila stuck her tongue out at him.
"Children, children," said Frank who had been quietly watching his last grandbaby prepare for motherhood, full of emotion. "I swear, those two aren't ever going to grow up," he laughed.
Steven finished unwrapping the package. "All together now," he said as he held up the gift. "Awwwww." It was the bedding sets they had chosen on their registry.
"That's too adorable!" exclaimed Linda.
"I know, I love it!" said Eddie.
"Who's it from?" asked Danny.
"Let's see here," said Lila, looking for the tag. She found it and read it to herself, then looked at Steven smiling, "Grandpa…Thank you so much."
"Well" said Linda. "That does it for the gifts. Are we ready for cake?"
"Bring it on!" said Lila. "I hope it's chocolate, is it?"
"You're in luck" said Eddie. "I know my pregnant daughter wants chocolate."
"Good, I've been craving a big piece of chocolate cake for days now," said Lila.
Everyone went into the dining room and gathered in front of the table where the cake was at. Nikki and Joe filled the stemware with sparkling cider, and asked everyone to grab a glass.
"Frank?" asked Eddie. "Would you like to give the toast?"
"I'd be honored," he replied. He thought for a few moments, then began to speak.
"I've known Lila since she was a twinkle in Jamie and Eddie's eye and Steven had been a welcome addition to our family since he and Lila met. They're two of the most special people on this earth. They're going to be amazing parents, and there's no doubt these little babies will have more love than they know what to do with. So, let's raise our glasses to the next generation of the Reagan-Tenney family and may God bless them as much as they've blessed all of us."
"That was beautiful, Dad," smiled Jamie.
"Yes, it was," said Lila, her eyes wet and teary. "Thank you."
"I meant every word of it," said Frank, giving Lila a big hug.
"Okay," said Eddie. "We need Steven and Lila up here for a picture with the cake before we cut it." The expectant parents made their way to the table, and stood behind it, holding the cake up together. Afterwards, Joe handed them a serving knife.
"Do the honors?" he asked Steven said.
Steven began to slice the cake when Lila took the knife away from him.
"I'll do it," she said. "I've seen him cut cakes, we'll be here all day!"
"What's wrong with the way I cut cakes?" he asked her, knowing she was just picking on him.
"Nothing, babe," said Lila. "You just try too hard to get every piece to be the exact same size, and it takes you forever, that's all."
"What can I say?" said Steven, "I have a few quirks!"
"Oh, I'm not even going there!" laughed Eddie. "Lila is primed and ready for quirks." Jamie had a few OCD tendencies of his own.
"Alright" said Lila. "It's all cut, so everyone dig in."
"Hold it," said Eddie, "You two get the first pieces, now choose what you want!"
"Yes, ma'am," said Steven, giving Eddie a mock salute.
As everyone was eating their cake and visiting amongst themselves, Steven decided he had something to say.
"Can I have everyone's attention for a moment?" he asked as he stood in front of the cake table.
"I want to say thank you to everyone who helped make today so special for Lila and I. We are so bless to have our wonderful family and friends throw us such a great baby shower, and I know I speak for Lila as well when I say it meant the world to us that all of you were here to celebrate with us. So, again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
"Oh, you two…" said Eddie as she gave Steven a hug and then moved on to Lila. "I love you both so much!"
"We love you too, Mom," said Lila.
"I can hardly wait to hold those little miracles!" exclaimed Frank, who'd joined the happy conversation.
"I know the feeling," said Steven meeting the old man's bright eyes. The next few weeks couldn't possibly go by fast enough for him.
A/N: Wow, I think that was my longest chapter yet, but I couldn't find a good place to split it. I toyed with making it a ladies only shower but the family is so close knit it seemed right everyone would be involved. Special thanks to all who actually read to the end of the chapter. Don't forget to leave a review.
Next Update – June 8th – Lila and Steven prepare to move onward and upward!
